It's not quite "The Avengers," but you can bank on the fact that a colorful assortment of heroes and villains will collide when "Captain America" returns for its 2014 sequel, titled "The Winter Soldier."

Based on a run of comic books written by noir-minded writer Ed Brubaker, the "Winter Soldier" story deals heavily with the apparent resurrection of Bucky Barnes, played in "Captain America: The First Avenger" by Sebastian Stan. In the comics, Bucky resurfaces in the form of a brainwashed Russian assassin known as the Winter Soldier, and it's up to his old partner and friend Steve Rogers to bring him back to the side of the angels. Exactly how faithful the Marvel Studios film plans to stick to that source material remains to be seen, but actor Chris Evans insists that the seeds for "Winter Soldier" were planted long ago.

"There were always hints at that," Evans told MTV News about the "Cap" sequel during a Toronto Film Fest interview about "The Iceman," his new hit-man biopic featuring "Man of Steel" villain Michael Shannon. "The best thing about [Marvel Studios president] Kevin Feige is he's a fan. He's not just a businessman, he's a rabid comic book fan. Even during the first 'Captain America,' well before 'The Avengers,' there were whispers of ['Winter Soldier'] being the sequel. So I'm excited to tackle that."

Among the reasons Evans is excited is the return of Sebastian Stan. "I love Sebastian," said the actor. "He's such a great guy."

But even beyond that, "Winter Soldier" sees the arrival of a brand new superhero to the Marvel Cinematic Universe. "The Hurt Locker" and "Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Squad" actor Anthony Mackie was reportedly cast as Sam Wilson, alias The Falcon, some months ago. Evans confirmed that Mackie will indeed be playing the bird-whispering hero in the upcoming "Cap" sequel, which is nothing short of a win for fans everywhere.

"He's so great," Evans said. "I've known Mackie for a few years now. I'm really happy we got him. We got lucky."